Background

Enteroenterostomy is an anastomosis between one part of the small bowel and another part of the small bowel (jejunum or ileum). It is used to restore bowel continuity after resection of a segment of the bowel or after creation of a Roux-en-Y loop of jejunum. When performed as a bypass procedure, enteroenterostomy relieves bowel obstruction.
[1, 2]

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Indications

An enteroenterostomy is more often performed in an emergency setting (eg, obstruction or trauma) than in an elective setting.

Enteroenterostomy is indicated for the following:

After resection of small intestine (eg, for
inflammatory bowel diseases such as
tuberculosis,
Crohn disease, malignancy [primary of the small bowel, such as adenocarcinoma or lymphoma; infiltration of the small bowel by a malignancy of an adjacent organ, such as the colon], ischemic stricture, trauma)

For intestinal bypass (short circuit) to relieve obstruction (though it is not preferred, in that it may result in blind-loop syndrome) or after closure of a perforation (eg, an enteric perforation from typhoid)

As a part of a Roux-en-Y loop or Braun loop of jejunum (used for biliary-enteric, pancreaticoenteric, or esophagoenteric anastomosis and as a part of
gastric bypass as a bariatric procedure)
[3, 4, 5, 6]

In case of doubt, it is better not to anastomose but rather to exteriorize (loop stoma for a perforation and proximal stoma and distal mucous fistula after resection).

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Technical Considerations

Best practices

Several steps can help to promote better outcomes during enteroenterostomy:

No tension (tension is usually not a problem in the small bowel unless its mesentery is shortened, thickened, and inflamed)

Good blood supply of the bowel ends

Good (water-tight) approximation

No mucosal eversion between approximated bowel walls; the mucosa should be intentionally inverted

Serosa (visceral peritoneum) should be approximated

No distal obstruction

Procedural planning

Most small-bowel anastomoses are performed in the emergency setting in patients with intestinal obstruction. A nasogastric tube is inserted to decompress the stomach (and proximal dilated small bowel). Fluid and electrolyte imbalances should be corrected. Intravenous (IV) human albumin (100 mL of 20% albumin twice a day) may be used to increase the oncotic pressure and take care of the bowel wall edema. Bowel preparation is not required for small-bowel resection and anastomosis (as opposed to large bowel resection and anastomosis, in which bowel preparation is required).

Complication prevention

An anastomotic leak is a life-threatening complication that can cause sepsis (fever, tachycardia, hypotension), abdominal signs of guarding and tenderness, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS), and even death (mortality, 10-15%). The leak is initially small but results in a local abscess that erodes into the rest of the anastomosis or spreads into adjacent structures (including vessels) to cause bleeding.

A localized leak manifests as undue or prolonged pain, unexplained fever, and unsettled abdomen with localized tenderness and paralytic ileus. A major free leak causes peritonitis; it may also present as an enterocutaneous fistula (ie, enteric contents protruding through the wound) or wound disruption (dehiscence)

Because an anastomotic leak is difficult to detect in obese and elderly patients, a high index of suspicion is necessary. In case of doubt, it can be confirmed by means of computed tomography (CT) with IV and oral (water-soluble) contrast (Gastrografin).

Anastomotic leakage almost invariably necessitates reoperation; dismantling of anastomosis and exteriorization (proximal stoma and distal mucous fistula) should be performed. No sutures should be used in an attempt to close the leak, because they do not hold and cut through, further enlarging the leak.

Other potential complications include the following:

Anastomotic narrowing caused by too much inversion of walls; more so in a two-layer anastomosis

Blind-loop syndrome in bypass and side-to-side anastomosis

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Outcomes

An enteroenterostomy restores bowel continuity after resection of a segment of the bowel or after creation of a Roux-en-Y loop of jejunum. When performed as a byspass procedure, enteroenterostomy relieves bowel obstruction.

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Patient education

The patient should be informed about the possibility of an anastomotic leak and need for reintervention including reoperation.